So what does Marconi playing the mamba mean? "Marconi" is referring to the radio itself. It plays a deadly snake. The snake - the mamba - is slithering from the speakers. Ready to kill greedy corporations. Ready to free the world of all that is evil, and to leave behind only the youthful idealism encompassed by the tenets of rock and roll.

If they'd squeezed sides 5 and 6 into one side it would have been perfect.
That side would have contained...

Charlie
Kingston
Street Parade
Version City
Living In Fame
Shepherds Delight

I love Lose This Skin but I think it would have been better off somewhere else.

That last side was just a stretch too far.

So what does Marconi playing the mamba mean? "Marconi" is referring to the radio itself. It plays a deadly snake. The snake - the mamba - is slithering from the speakers. Ready to kill greedy corporations. Ready to free the world of all that is evil, and to leave behind only the youthful idealism encompassed by the tenets of rock and roll.

That's very true about Sides Five and Six but in another way I never really understood the harsher criticisms of S! among the music press because whatever way you spin it, there's still two albums worth of serious material there. They could have released a great double or killer single album and being likely fawned over, instead they throw in the odd duff track and get widely slaughtered for it. As I think Joe himself said or words thereof, no need to sweat it. Just skip to the tracks you like and where's the problem?

That was hard. I really like Side 5. The others just don't have anything as bad as Mensforth Hill.

As for initial thoughts . . . I got S! for Christmas when I was 20 or so. We put it in the (multi disc) CD player and when Hitsville came on I literally thought the CD player had shuffled to some Christmas album

How about this? If you had to cut S! down to a double LP - what would your track listing be? You have 4 sides to work with - roughly 23-24 minutes per side.

Personally, I would us sides 1, 2, 3 and 4 as a starting point and set aside all of 5 and 6.

I'd probably drop all of side 6 and leave the dub versions for b-sides.

I'd rescue Charlie Don't Surf from side 5 - just not sure what I'd bump to make room for it. I'd probably excise One More Dub from side 2.

What else would you "save" from side 5? Street Parade?

There is definitely a GREAT double in their - going for 3 sides was a step too far and if my memory serves me right - was an attempt to deliver one more LP to CBS per their botched contract with the band.

That's very true about Sides Five and Six but in another way I never really understood the harsher criticisms of S! among the music press because whatever way you spin it, there's still two albums worth of serious material there. They could have released a great double or killer single album and being likely fawned over, instead they throw in the odd duff track and get widely slaughtered for it. As I think Joe himself said or words thereof, no need to sweat it. Just skip to the tracks you like and where's the problem?

That's very true about Sides Five and Six but in another way I never really understood the harsher criticisms of S! among the music press because whatever way you spin it, there's still two albums worth of serious material there. They could have released a great double or killer single album and being likely fawned over, instead they throw in the odd duff track and get widely slaughtered for it. As I think Joe himself said or words thereof, no need to sweat it. Just skip to the tracks you like and where's the problem?

But remember it was pre shuffle / skip track back then

Hello,

As an older person on the board, I remember once you dropped the needle, you were listening to that side.

That's very true about Sides Five and Six but in another way I never really understood the harsher criticisms of S! among the music press because whatever way you spin it, there's still two albums worth of serious material there. They could have released a great double or killer single album and being likely fawned over, instead they throw in the odd duff track and get widely slaughtered for it. As I think Joe himself said or words thereof, no need to sweat it. Just skip to the tracks you like and where's the problem?

But remember it was pre shuffle / skip track back then

Hello,

As an older person on the board, I remember once you dropped the needle, you were listening to that side.

I didn't know what to think 4 songs in. I know I didn't care for it much at the end of the first full listen (which was on a used cassette). It took getting it on vinyl for me to truly appreciate it.

I think my order of favorites is the same as Heston (3,4,1,2,5,6). I'd say my disc preference is solidly 3,2,1, BUT 3&4 and 1&2 are of such similar quality to each other that I could probably have said 4,3,2,1,5,6 on another day. If that makes sense.